Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in the U.S. capital this week for a high-stakes visit aimed at finalizing a sweeping strategic pact with the United States, a trip that also marks his full diplomatic rehabilitation nearly six years after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

President Donald Trump is set to host the de facto Saudi ruler with a formal White House ceremony and black-tie dinner on Tuesday, granting the meeting the stature of a state visit and signaling a profound reset in a relationship once strained by human rights concerns.

“We’re honoring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince,” President Trump told reporters, underscoring the importance his administration places on the alliance.

The meetings are expected to cover a vast agenda, from defense and energy to advanced technology and artificial intelligence. At its core, however, are two interconnected goals: a U.S.-Saudi mutual security guarantee and a major push to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

According to U.S. officials, both sides are racing to finalize a broad package of agreements. Central to the negotiations is a proposed U.S. security guarantee for Saudi Arabia, modeled on a recent pledge to Qatar. While falling short of a formal treaty requiring Senate approval, such a pact would significantly deepen defense ties and could be signed during the visit.

The Saudis are also pursuing a massive weapons deal, including the purchase of dozens of advanced F-35 fighter jets. Reports suggest Israel would not oppose the sale if it were directly linked to progress on normalization with Riyadh.

The diplomatic groundwork has been intensive. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, the crown prince's brother, held meetings in Washington last week with top U.S. officials. Simultaneously, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a key architect of the Abraham Accords, met with MBS in Riyadh to discuss the path forward.

Normalizing Saudi-Israeli relations remains a top foreign policy priority for the Trump administration. A framework discussed before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack—which included a U.S. defense pact and support for a Saudi civilian nuclear program in exchange for Riyadh establishing ties with Israel—was derailed by the Gaza war but has since resumed.

“I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in,” President Trump said recently, expressing optimism about a breakthrough.

However, a significant obstacle remains. Saudi Arabia has consistently stated it will only normalize relations with Israel if there is a “credible” and “irreversible” pathway to a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refused to accept such terms, creating a core gap that negotiators have yet to close. U.S. officials acknowledge the challenge but hope to secure incremental progress this week.

Beyond geopolitics, Riyadh is using the visit to strengthen economic ties. The kingdom plans to host a major investment summit at the Kennedy Center following the White House meetings, convening top American CEOs and business leaders. The event will follow up on a announced $600 billion Saudi investment pledge in the U.S. during President Trump's visit to Riyadh in May, much of which has yet to materialize.

Symbolically, the lavish White House welcome represents a decisive step in the crown prince’s political rehabilitation. Once a pariah in the wake of Khashoggi’s killing, MBS now arrives in Washington not as a figure seeking redemption, but as the indispensable leader of the Arab world and a central U.S. strategic partner.